Content

• Ingredients
• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparation
• Part 2 of 3: Pre-cooking the potatoes
• Part 3 of 3: Using precooked potatoes
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Pre-cooking is a method where your food is partially cooked to reduce cooking time when running a recipe. Potatoes are often pre-cooked because in many cases they take a little longer to cook than other ingredients. Start with Step 1 below to learn how to precook potatoes so that you can add them to any dish (this article will also give you a few ideas).

Ingredients

• Potatoes
• Boiling water
• Cold water

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparation

1. Choose the right potatoes. The ideal potato is firm and smooth. There are no sprouts and the skin is not greenish; this is an indication that toxins are being produced in the potato, causing the taste to deteriorate and you can even get headaches and diarrhea. Also pay attention to whether there are potatoes with soft spots or spots.
   • As for the type of potato, that's up to you. There are floury and firm potatoes or in between. Floury potatoes keep their shape well and are great for cooking and roasting. Solid potatoes are good for frying and deep frying.
2. Clean the potatoes. Check the recipe to see if it is necessary to peel the potatoes or not.
   • If there is no need to peel them, scrub them under running water until they are as clean as possible.
   • If they need to be peeled, use a potato peeler or vegetable peeler and peel them over a container or paper bag. This makes cleaning up afterwards a lot easier. Wash the potatoes after peeling.
3. Cut the potatoes to the correct shape and dimensions, if necessary. Potatoes take a lot of time to cook, hence the usefulness of pre-cooking. To ensure that all potatoes (including the large ones) are cooked over time, cut them all into roughly the same size pieces.
   • The smaller the potato, the faster it will cook. If you have really large ones, cut them into quarters to reduce cooking time.

Part 2 of 3: Pre-cooking the potatoes

1. Fill a pan with room temperature water and the potatoes. It is not necessarily necessary to put all the potatoes under water or to use a lot of water, because they steam well. Make sure that there is plenty of water in the pan (fill the pan halfway), so that the potatoes do not boil dry.
   • Make sure your potatoes are clean and all about the same size! It is inconvenient to cook potatoes in two batches.
2. Bring the potatoes to the boil. Boil small to medium potatoes for 7-10 minutes; Pre-cook larger potatoes about 12-15 minutes.
   • Some people swear that the best method is to bring the potatoes to a boil, then turn off the heat under the pan immediately and leave the hot pan on the stove. This method usually takes 15 minutes, and is useful because you can be sure not to cook the potatoes completely.
3. Remove the potatoes from the heat when the time is up. If you want to be sure how "cooked" the potato is, stick a fork in it. Preferably they have a cooked outer rim and are still raw in the center; the potato should still be firm and your fork should not be able to drop easily beyond the outer edge.
   • You can also go over the edge of the potato with a knife. Does this come off easily and is it crumbly or soft? When you get further in the middle, is it harder, whiter, and clearly a bit uncooked? That is perfect.
4. Immediately put the potatoes in cold water. This will stop cooking immediately. They are now ready to use as required in your recipes.
   • You cannot keep precooked potatoes for long; use them within a day or no later than two days. Keep them in a bowl in the fridge and not in a plastic bag (this will make them sweat and soften).

Part 3 of 3: Using precooked potatoes

1. Make roasted new potatoes. One of the best ways to use pre-cooked potatoes is to roast them. When potatoes are precooked and then roasted, you get that great, crunchy crust and soft interior that the taste buds love.
2. Make a stir-fry dish with vegetables. Another reason to pre-cook potatoes is because they take longer to cook than vegetables. You can also use pre-cooked potatoes in a dish where you stir-fry all ingredients.
3. Make baked potatoes. Learn a secret for making baked potatoes? First, cook them briefly. Just like with roasted potatoes, this makes them crispy. Leave the ready-made potato slices in the store and try to make them yourself. Much tastier!
4. Roast sweet potatoes. In addition to the regular potatoes, you can also precook the sweet version. In fact, any hearty vegetable can be precooked, including carrots. Once you've figured out what to do with it, expand your repertoire with the rest of the waxy carrots and tubers.

Tips

• Some recipes state that you should first cut the potatoes and then pre-cook them; follow the recipe to see how to cut them and how long to cook them.
• You can use precooked potatoes on pizza, in curries, salads or fried as slices or puree. Some people like to use pre-cooked potatoes for roasting.
• It is best to precook waxy potatoes. Floury potatoes are often too soft and will fall apart even during pre-cooking.

Warnings

• If you cook the potatoes for too long, they are no longer suitable as a pre-cooked product. Then use them as usual!

Necessities

• Vegetable peeler (optional)
• Pan
• Come with cold water
• Knife